Theme districts rise from the ground at Expo 2020 Dubai site (30 October 2017)

Expo 2020 Dubai’s pavilions for some participant countries have reached above-ground level, a ‘key milestone’ in construction on the 4.38 square kilometre site in Dubai Site.

Images released by Expo organisers today show the impressive pace of progress on these pavilions in Expo’s three theme districts – Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability. These buildings are the first structures to reach above-ground level. Construction across the site is on track, said Expo 2020 Dubai.

Some of the pavilions at Expo 2020 will be built by countries themselves while Expo is constructing others to be rented.

Work on the districts began in March after Dubai-based Al Futtaim Carillion was awarded an AED 2.2 billion contract.

Ahmed Al Khatib, Vice President of Real Estate and Delivery at Expo 2020 Dubai said “The first superstructure – buildings that have reached above-ground level – to emerge in the theme districts marks a key milestone in our journey to Expo 2020. It is an exciting period because these are areas of the Expo site that will be experienced and enjoyed by millions of people from around the world.

“We are making great progress in the construction and marking this milestone already means we are right on schedule.”

Expo 2020’s theme districts will contain a total of 136 pavilions for countries, NGOs and commercial partners, while dozens of other ‘self-built’ country pavilions will be erected outside the theme districts.

Pavilions will house a wide range of exhibits and experiences to entertain, educate and empower the millions of people expected to visit the Expo. Every building in the theme districts will meet at the least the prestigious LEED Gold standard for sustainability.

During Expo, the completed basements will become an underground rail and road network, supporting logistics to ensure pavilions, shops, restaurants and cafes are restocked and cleaned throughout the day without disrupting the experience of the visitors.

The pace of development across the Expo site is accelerating now that the main construction phase is underway.

At least 17 kilometres of logistics roads have been constructed – using recycled concrete – to allow equipment and materials to access the site. Infrastructure work is also well advanced, with three DEWA substations near completion.

Twelve tower cranes stretching hundreds of feet into the air are already operating at the Expo site, with a further 10 to be erected in the coming months. Each week, 6,100 cubic metres of concrete is poured on to the site.

All heavy construction at the Expo site will be completed by October 2019, a full year before the Expo opens on 20 October 2020.

Ahmed Al Khatib added: “The pace of work on the site is accelerating. We already have 17 different projects underway and more will be coming on stream in the next few months, particularly from April 2018, when participant nations begin to take over their plots and start constructing their pavilions.”

Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region. It opens on 20 October 2020 and runs for six months. Through its theme, ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, Expo will be a platform to foster creativity, innovation and collaboration globally.

More than 200 international participants including countries, companies, NGOs and educational institutions are set to take part, while about 70 percent of the 25 million visits forecast will come from outside the UAE, making Expo 2020 one of the most inclusive in the 166-year history of World Expos.